


All in the Dreams

by Kurokosou



Series: Shance Fluff Week 2018 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dreams AU, Fluff, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Light Angst, M/M, Modern AU, ShanceFluffWeek, Shiro (Voltron) Has Anxiety, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Strangers to Lovers, idk what else to tag, like just a smidge, non-space, shancefluff2018, sharing dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-17 15:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14835230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurokosou/pseuds/Kurokosou
Summary: This was a dream.He had no other explanation for it; not to say he was complaining, no - it was a nice dream. And the handsome, tan-skinned brunet with the golden smile sharing the dream with him certainly made it all the better.*Written for ShanceFluffWeek2018: Prompt 1: Dreams/Memories*





	1. So you cruisin'?

**Author's Note:**

> Me: okay, I wanna try these prompt week thingies, it'll be good practice for writing shorter stuff!  
> *First prompt turns out to be 29 fucking pages and 17k words*  
> Me: ...fuck...

This was a dream.

There was no other explanation for the strange and unfamiliar peace he was feeling right now. There was a clear blue sky and an equally blue ocean stretched out before him, the salty breeze whipping against his face as the waves lapped against the side of the cruise ship. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath and felt the stress in his shoulders melt away; he opened his eyes again, leaning against the metal railing as he simply enjoyed the open view. He had no idea why he was on a cruise ship or where it was going and honestly, since it is a dream, he didn't really care. It was better than the usual dreams that haunted him; the ones that were filled with sulfur, smoke and blood. His own heartbeat pounding wildly in his ears, making him deaf to the high-pitched shrills of sirens, dirt and sweat clinging to his skin…

He shuddered a little, shaking his head as he tried to steer his mind back to the serenity in front of him; he wasn't going to ruin what was promising to be a pleasant dream for once. He could feel a presence come up to his side, choosing to ignore it in favour of watching the big fluffy clouds drifting in the sky.

"Hey there, handsome~ you come here often?" the body next to him spoke. Finally, he turned his attention to the man who had taken the spot next to him, being greeted by a pair of eyes so blue that it rivaled the ocean and sky in front of them. He sputtered a little, clearing his throat as he offered a shy smile to the man.

"I – n-not really, I mean its cruise; not exactly a thing you can do without blowing a ton of money," he answered. He lifted a hand to brush his bangs out of his face, freezing in place at the gesture before pulling his hand away, staring down at it. Now he definitely knew this was a dream - he still had his right arm. A light chuckle snapped him out of his daze, turning back to the man with ocean-blue eyes.

"Yeah, I guess that's true – you'd have to be a thrice millionaire or something to be able to take multiple cruises frequently," the man teased, a wide grin spreading across his face. There was something about that smile, the way it made the man's tan skin glow – or maybe it was just the sunlight.

"I'm Lance, by the way," the man introduced himself, holding his hand.

"...Shiro," he replied back, taking the hand with his. Lance smiled, reaching a hand to adjust the large, straw sunhat he was wearing. Shiro smiled back. This dream was taking a weird direction, but compared to the alternative, talking with a stranger was infinitely better.

"Sooo - what do people usually do on cruises?" Lance asked, turning his body so he was facing the taller man. Shiro only raised an eyebrow at him, leaning his elbows against the railing.

"What? You've never been on a cruise before?" he questioned, seeing a little pink colour dust Lance's cheeks. He had to laugh a little, the brunet giving him a pout as he huffed.

"Hey! Not my fault I'm too poor to afford one!" he defended and Shiro just laughed more. He pushed away from the railing, stretching his arms out in front before signaling for Lance to follow him. The other man hesitated for a moment, still pouting at him before a small smile replaced it, arms behind his back as he trailed after Shiro.

"Well, there are a few things you can do on a cruise, depending on what they offer. They usually have some games on deck, small casinos in the halls - oh and sometimes a water slide; I remember my friends used to freak out over that," Shiro started to explain. They walked along the outer deck of the ship, occasionally passing by blobs of shadows he assumed was meant to be other passengers; they didn't matter though. The only people who matter in this dream right now were him and this Lance – who seemed to be enthralled by the mention of a water slide.

"A water slide?! Really? Does this mean there's a pool somewhere? Oh man, that would be awesome!"

"Are you like ten or something?" Shiro joked, failing miserably at covering up his smirk. Lance just waved him off, giving him a smug little smile as he strolled ahead of him.

"Mock all you want, but water slides are the bomb! That's why water parks are the best damn thing in the world!" Lance stated. Shiro snickered, following behind the brunet with lazy strides. He wasn't sure how or why his brain was conjuring up this man, but he wasn't complaining – something about this dream, about Lance was different. It was – assuring, in a strange and convoluted way that maybe he wasn't quite as mentally messed up in the waking world.

They walked side by side aimlessly, Lance talking wildly about anything and everything, Shiro content to just listen and keep in step with him. Eventually, Shiro decided to steer them away from the seemingly endless deck, leading them to what was probably the largest outdoor pool deck in the world. The array of colourful plastic slides twisting and curling around the pool was probably impossible, but hey it was a dream and that meant anything could go. The sparkle in dark blue eyes sent a warm feeling bubbling in Shiro's chest, trying not to laugh at the excited squeals escaping Lance. The man was practically bouncing on the spot, pointing wildly to the slides as he looked at Shiro with a gleeful smile. Shiro only nodded, watching as the brunet took off with no hesitation at all, climbing up one of the ladders.

Shiro heard his giddy laughter moments later, followed by a loud splash in the water. Lance resurfaced, spitting out the water that had gotten into his mouth; he gave Shiro two thumbs up, Shiro just laughing and shaking his head. He wondered over to one of the many lounge chairs by the poolside, settling against the padded wicker with a content sigh. He was happy to watch as Lance climbed out of the pool and try out another slide, a series of 'whoops' and 'yahoos' echoing through the tunnels each time he came sliding down.

Every so often he'd swim over to the edge closest to Shiro, hanging off it and chatting with him before he'd get out and go around round on the slides. At some point, Lance somehow managed to convince Shiro to try out one of the slides, which is why he was now sitting at the top of the longest, most winding slide out of the whole set, staring down the plastic tube with apprehension.

"...you know what, I change my mind – this is a terrible idea," Shiro gulped, fingers curled around the plastic in a death grip.

"Don't be such a baby, Shiro! It'll be fun, trust me," Lance assured. Shiro just shook his head, trying to worm his way past the man blocking the ladder; however in all his squirming, he had let go of the sides of the slide, Lance seizing the opportunity to shove him hard down the mouth of the slide. Shiro let out a rather undignified and pitched scream of terror, hearing laughter echoing behind him as he slipped down the slightly wet tunnel. Halfway through the ride, the scream morphed into laughter and before he knew it, he was crashing into the water, flailing about before he managed to break surface. He spat out the water in his mouth, shaking his head to shake the water out of his hair; the growing sound of Lance cheering was the only warning his got before the brunet came splashing by his side, getting more water in his face before the other surfaced.

"See? Fun right?" Lance asked with a smug grin on his face. Shiro only narrowed his eyes at him, slapping water into the brunet's face before he made his way over to the edge of the pool to crawl out. Lance just laughed, swimming after him and pulling himself out of the water. They dried off with the towels sitting on the deck chairs, sitting in the shade and enjoying the gentle breeze encasing them.

"Hey, wanna go see if there's anything to eat? Aren't cruises supposed to be famous for their open buffets or something?" Lance suggested after a while.

"I don't see why not; anything in particular you want to eat?" Shiro answered back. Although he knew he wouldn't taste anything since this was a dream, he did want to make sure there was something for Lance to eat. He couldn't explain it, but it was oddly satisfying to see the smile on the brunet's face, and the way his eyes would sparkle like stars.

"Oooh, ice cream! I've been craving ice cream like – all day!" Lance exclaimed hands clasped together in glee. Shiro just chuckled, gesturing for the brunet to follow him as he led the way. It was probably just dream logic, but it seemed like they just had to turn the corner and there was the dining hall, blobs of shadows drifting about in the background as they made a beeline to the dessert bar. Just about every toppings, sauces and flavours feasible for the perfect sundae was available, Lance practically drooling at the sight as he went through each label with a careful eye. Suddenly he straightened up, hands clasped together in prayer, just barely containing his excitement like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Oh man, I'm so glad this is a dream, because it means I can pig out and not worry about getting fat," he said. He picked up a fairly large bowl and started scooping out at least three flavours of ice cream, before moving on to adding some toppings and then drowning the whole thing in sauces. Shiro blinked for a moment, brows drawing in confusion as he processed Lance's words; something was starting to feel off. He didn't have much more time to turn over the words before a clean, empty bowl was shoved into his hands, eyeing the devious little smirk on the brunet's face.

"Hey, wanna have a contest?" Lance challenged, waggling his eyebrows at him.

"What? Like an eating contest?" Shiro questioned, giving him a half shrug as he took the bowl.

"Duh, what else? You know, I've always wondered – is it possible to have too much ice cream? I mean, come on - we'll know ice cream is delicious and there's always room for ice cream, right?" Lance reasoned. Shiro shook his head, but the smile on his face was telling, making his way to the ice cream bar to create his own sundae.

"I supposed you do make a valid point; plus like you said - this is a dream, so we don't have to worry about our weight, right?" Shiro pointed out. He noticed Lance fumble with the bowl in his hands a little before steadying himself, quickly flashing a smile as he headed to an empty table. Shiro took a moment to observe the brunet before turning back to finish his own concoction; perhaps there was more to this dream than he thought. He joined Lance at the table, spoon and ice cream in toll, putting on his 'game' face – at least, what he assumed his game face would look like.

"Well, ready to see how much ice cream is too much?" he inquired, seeing a confident grin spread across the brunet's face.

"Oh, it's so on! First to cry uncle loses!"

Apparently even dream bodies have limits. Lance had called quits after three bowls, whining that his stomach was aching, despite that by dream logic it shouldn't have had any effects at all. Shiro managed five before calling it quits himself, not sure of the reasoning behind it either. They decided to head back out to the deck, walking along at lazy, leisurely pace; there was hardly any sound beyond the gentle smacks of the waves against the side of the ship and a faint melody of classical music in the background. The sky had turned into the rich orange and yellow hues of the evening and the two had stopped to admire the picture perfect sunset. They simply stood in silence, leaning against the metal railing as a soft breeze blew over them; if this had been real, they would’ve been able to smell the saltiness from the sea beneath them.

"...this is really a dream, isn't it?" Lance broke the silence between them first.

"Definitely, considering I just ate five bowls of ice cream and I'm not hurling it into the ocean right now," Shiro confirmed. That earned him a laugh from the brunet, turning to look at the man with a smile.

"Yeah, definitely glad this is a dream then – I would not want to see that," Lance teased, nudging Shiro with his elbow. Shiro nudged him back, the two falling back into silence as the dark orange of the sky started to fade into purple, the faint twinkle of the stars beginning to appear.

"You – you're not actually part of this dream, are you?" Lance questioned quietly. The question caught Shiro off guard, dark grey eyes turning to face the brunet with a puzzling look. Lance wasn't looking at him, biting down on his lower lip and staring down at the waves with anxious eyes.

"What do you mean?" Shiro questioned. Lance folded his hands together, twiddling his thumbs as he stumbled over his words.

"Well, like – you know how when you dream of people, they're like – perfect? Or like, they're just better versions of themselves? I don't know, just – you know they're dream people, not like – people-people," Lance tried to explain, letting out a small noise of frustration as he struggled with the words. "And you, you just seem – real? Like too real. Not that it's a bad thing! I mean, you seem like a totally awesome dude, but you're not like – dream-material? Or dream-people material? Or – fuck, I don't know what I'm saying! I –"

"Lance, calm down," Shiro interrupted, reaching out to place a gentle hand on the brunet's shoulder. Lance shut his mouth instantly, his cheeks burning red as he turned his eyes away.

"S-sorry, I was rambling – I ramble when I'm nervous..."

"Its fine and – I think I get what you mean, about not being dream-people material," Shiro stated. Wide blue eyes stared up at him in surprise, Shiro drawing his hand back as he leaned over the railing, eyes gazing up at the stars.

"I think – you're the same; you're not a dream-person, you're too real to be one."

"Y-yeah? And how do you reason that?" Lance asked, not tearing his eyes away from the man next to him.

“Well, my dreams tend to stick closer to real life, even with people – and I can confidently say I’ve never met anyone like you before,” Shiro answered. Lance let out a small, disappointed-sounding 'oh', dropping his gaze back down to the dark waters the ship was trending through. He reached his arms to wrap around his upper body, shivering a little despite that he couldn't feel the chill of the night at all. The brunet jumped at the hand on his shoulder, whipping his head to see a soft smile on the other man's face.

"Lance, I – I had fun in this dream; it's been a long time since I've had a good dream..." Shiro tried to assure, giving the shoulder under his hand a tender squeeze.

"Really? Like, really-really?" Lance asked, giving him a mock glare that made Shiro laugh.

"Really – even if you were a jerk and pushed me down the longest and twistiest slide earlier."

"Oh please, you were laughing – you liked it!" Lance countered, rolling his eyes. They shared a laugh, falling back into a comfortable silence as they watched the stars blink in and out against the black curtain of the night sky. Shiro hadn't removed his right hand from Lance's shoulder, enjoying the feel of contact under his palm, even though such a feat was impossible in reality.

"...so what happens now?" Lance asked softly. Shiro didn't say anything for several minutes, unsure of the answer himself.

“We wake up, I guess. I mean, we’re both real people, right? Gotta wake up at some point…” Shiro said slowly. The words stung with a sharp pain in his chest, feeling the weight of reality that this _was_ just a dream. A very pleasant dream that he wasn’t ready to end, not yet – and judging from the face Lance was making, he didn’t want it to end either. The air around them became heavy with unsettling thoughts, neither saying a word nor making a move to pull apart as it suddenly became eerily quiet.

"I – had fun too, Shiro. Thanks for the awesome dream," Lance thanked with a sad smile. Shiro let his hand slide away from the man's shoulder, gazing into those deep ocean blue eyes for a moment before he smiled, reaching his left hand to hold over Lance's own slender fingers.

“Maybe – we’ll see each other again? I mean, not to be too optimistic or anything, but maybe we’ll have another dream together? Or maybe we really are just dream-people? Dreams are weird and brains are even weirder, I mean – they can be wired so differently from person to person and maybe this is all just a weird brain prank, or –”

“Okay, now you’re the one who’s rambling,” Lance giggled. Shiro just gave him a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. The ship around them started to fade, the ocean waves becoming silent as darkness started to encroach on them. Lance reached a hand to pull his hair back from his face, giving Shiro a hopeful smile.

"Hey, ever been to a pop-up carnival before?" he asked.

“Not since I was six years old – why?” Shiro questioned, raising a curious brow at the brunet. The biggest grin he had ever seen so far spread across Lance’s face, and he’s seen lots of different smiles from the other man in this dream.

“How about the next dream we go to one? It’ll definitely be more fun than a cruise,” Lance suggested. Shiro held his breath at the suggestion, the idea that they could do this again – that maybe there would be another dream they could spend together. A small smile came to Shiro’s face, giving Lance a tender look as he nodded his head.

“I would like that; and a carnival does sound more fun than a cruise,” he agreed. Lance pulled his hand out from Shiro’s, only to take it between his own giving it a tender squeeze.

“Then it’s a date!”

The shrilling noise from the digital alarm on his bed side pulled Shiro awake, dark grey eyes blinking up at the dull, worn out stucco of his bedroom ceiling. He stared blankly into the empty space, his brain still trying to catch up with the fact that it was morning and that he was, indeed, awake. He let out a weary groan, sitting up with a stretch and feeling his back pop and crack, running his hand through the long, tangled mess that was his hair. He winced as his fingers snagged a knot, gently tugging till he could pull his fingers free; he really needed to get his hair cut. He slammed his fist down on the button of his alarm, effectively shutting the damn machine off. He let out another groan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before swinging his legs off the side of the bed to get up.

He shuffled his way slowly to the bathroom, tugging at more knots in his hair along the way before flipping the light switch on. He flinched at the blinding brightness, methodically making his way to the sink and turned the water on; a few cold splashes to his face and he was fully awake now, blinking a few times to clear up his vision. Shiro grimaced at his reflection, dark circles still prominent under his eyes, his hair a messy nest of black and white and rough, uneven whiskers growing along his jawline and upper lip. He was glad he didn’t look this rough in the dream last night.

A small smile appeared on his face, opening the medicine cabinet to grab his toothbrush and start on his mourning routine. He remembered every detail of the dream – the clear blue sky, the terrifying ride down that plastic tube of death and even the neat cursive writing on the labels at the ice cream bar. However, the details that stood out the most in his mind was Lance; that brilliant smile that lit up the oval face, the glimmer in his deep blue eyes, the flawless smooth olive-skin that glowed in the sunlight. Shiro hissed as the comb caught a particularly stubborn knot, giving it a few short, hard tugs before he pulled the comb out in frustration. Untangling knots was a little more difficult with just one hand, but he wasn’t planning on leaving his apartment today, so he figured it didn’t matter if he was decent or not.

With a heavy sigh, he turned to leave the bathroom, turning off the lights and headed out towards the kitchen to start the coffee machine and put some food together. He pulled out a box of plain old bran cereal, setting it on the counter before grabbing a bowl and poured the grains into it. He pulled the fridge door open, frowning at the lack of contents and the fact there was no more milk; he’d have to go shopping soon and was not looking forward to that. Another sigh and he slammed the door shut, turning to the now ready coffee machine, setting up his mug and pushing the button for his usual setting. Once he had his breakfast ready, he sat down at the small table and began the task of eating; he made a face at the dry taste of his cereal, wishing he had milk to make it more tolerable.

He trudged through it though, alternating between eating and slowly sipping at his coffee. He let his mind wander away from him, his thoughts going back to the dream from last night. He couldn’t explain it, but it really had felt like he was on that ship, that he had spent an entire day with a complete stranger. Lance was different – an indescribable presence that Shiro couldn’t help but feel drawn into; he could still hear the man’s laughter vibrating in his head, and feel the warm that radiated from his smile. They had hardly touched throughout the whole dream and yet Shiro was finding himself craving it, that calming sensation he had felt in the time he spent with the brunet.

Once he was finished with his breakfast, he stood up and cleared away his dirtied dishes, putting them in the sink. He thought about washing them for a brief moment, but decided against it; last time he tried to rinse a simple plate it ended up on the floor in several pieces. He headed back to his bedroom to change out of his bed clothes, noticing the screen of his phone was lit up with messages. He ignored them as he strode over to the dresser, pulling out a loose t-shirt and a pair of sweats; there was only one person who’d be messaging him right now and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with them yet. After fifteen minutes of struggle, he was changed and tossing his sleep clothes on the bed carelessly, shuffling his way back out to the living room area. He plopped down on the couch, reaching for the remote and began aimlessly flipping through the different channels, not really looking for anything in particularly.

An advertisement caught his attention, however, quickly flipping back to that channel as colourful flags and lively faces flashed across the screen. The announcer’s voice was filled with over-enthusiastic cheer as they rattled on about a carnival coming to town next week, hamming up the games and rides and the promise of a firework show at night. Shiro felt a flutter in his chest, remembering that Lance said they would go to a pop-up carnival in their next dream, and that he called it a date. He quickly pushed those butterflies down, a cloud of doubt taking over as he quickly changed the channel. While last night was unexplainable, it didn’t mean it was going to happen again; and perhaps Lance _was_ just a dream person, someone his brain managed to conjure out of thin air and not a real being that possibly existed in the world.

Shiro tried to focus his attention back to the TV, trying to distract himself from that small nagging part of his brain. There was a tiny piece of hope, a sense of eagerness for the night to come and for sleep to come easy to him, so he could see the other man again in his dreams. In spite of himself, he prayed whatever had happen last night would repeat itself soon.


	2. Ferris Wheels are so cliche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Shiro have their "date" at the carnival. Shiro is good at embarrassing Lance.

There was no mistaking the corny accordion music playing in the background, the sounds of pops and cracks along with the whirls of gears echoing in the air. The sky was clear of any dark clouds or pollution, the sun bearing down harshly and in real life, it would be scorching hot, but he could hardly feel its unforgiving heat. Shiro shifted nervously on his feet, looking around the near empty parking lot save for the car he was standing next to. He spied his reflection in the silvery-blue tinted windows, staring intently at the unmarred face staring back. The prominent scar that usually stretched across his nose was absent, leaving his pale skin smooth; he ran his right hand through the black tuffs of hair hanging in his face, glad to be rid of the unsightly white patch he had gotten from stress. The back of his head was shaved with an undercut, one that was reminiscent of his college days, before he had joined the military.

He took a step back to give himself a once over, noting the slightly form-fitting white tee, dark washed out jeans and well-worn sable hiking boots. He put his hands to his hips, subconsciously puffing out his chest as he turned and twisted his body to admire his reflection in the car window. A small proud smile found its way to his lips; he wasn’t really one to brag, but he had been pretty pleased with his physique back then. Not to say he was out of shape now, but if he had to pin-point a moment in life where he felt he had been at his physical peak – this was probably it.

“Having fun there, big guy?” A teasing voice suddenly spoke up from behind. Shiro jumped, spinning around to see Lance standing there, arms crossed loosely and a smug smirk on his face. Shiro took a moment to soak in the other’s appearance, dark brown hair combed straight and falling naturally around soft features. Lance was wearing an open button-up white collared shirt, a light blue tee underneath that seem to accentuate his lanky form; he had on slim-fit light coloured jeans, stylized tears and frays around the knees giving a teasing hint to the sun-kissed skin peeking through, a pair of black converse completing the look. The raven head blushed, reaching a hand to rub the back of his neck as he looked away.

“I was just – wanted to make sure I looked okay for our…date,” Shiro excused. He heard Lance laugh, the blush on his face darkening even more; he really liked the sound of Lance’s laughter.

“I wouldn’t worry about that – you could’ve come dressed in a sack and still be the hottest guy here,” Lance assured with a flirty smile on his face as he held his hand out. Shiro offered a shy smile, slowly reaching out to take the invitation; he really wished he could feel the heat of the other’s fingertips beneath his. There was a moment pause before Lance tugged on his hand and started guiding them to the entrance of the carnival, reaching into his back pocket to pull out their tickets. They got their hands stamped and were waved through the turnstiles, immediately being greeted by the colourful flashes of lights from the variety of rides and game stalls set up around them. Shiro could feel Lance’s hand tighten around his in excitement, glancing over at the man to see him bouncing on his toes. He had to laugh, earning him a pout from the brunet before he was being pulled along.

“Okay, so what should we do first? Games or rides? Oh and we definitely have to get funnel cake! Can’t go to a carnival and not eat funnel cake!” Lance started rattling off. Shiro laughed, raising a brow at the other man.

“What is it with you and food?” he asked jokingly.

“Hey! There’s nothing wrong with liking food! It’s how we mortals survive,” Lance raved, waving his free hand around wildly as they walked through the shadowy blobs of the crowd. Shiro just shook his head, the smile on his face betraying him though as he let the brunet led the date. They decided to tackle the rides first, climbing into one of the mini roller coasters and taking the front car; there weren’t any huge twists or gut-wrenching drops, but Lance still screamed at the top of his lungs, a wide smile on his face as the wind whipped against them. Shiro just laughed the whole ride, afterwards saying how ridiculously moronic the brunet was being for such a tiny trip. Lance just huffed, having no shame at all for enjoying himself and being loud; it was a carnival these things were meant to be loud.

As they progressed through each attraction, the rides got wilder and wilder, the adrenaline pumping through their veins keeping them going as they got off each with shaky legs. One particularly hard spinning ride had them both stumbling, clinging on to the other as they laughed and tripped over their own feet. Shiro decided that was enough attempts at making them sick at that point, gesturing over to the game stalls; a dangerous glint shone in Lance’s ocean blue eyes, already dragging Shiro to one of the shooting games. He didn’t hesitate at all as he picked up the fake rifle, getting a feel for the toy before flashing a grin over his shoulder at the dark-haired man.

“Alright, prepare to be impressed, baby! I wasn’t called the resident sharpshooter for nothing~” Lance boasted. Shiro just snorted, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Okay then, _sharpshooter_ – impress me,” Shiro taunted with a smile. The grin on Lance’s face grew wider, turning his attention back to the moving target marks in front of him. There was a ring of a bell and the timer began counting down, the first target down within a second before another followed suit. Shiro watched with slight amazement, Lance showing no hesitation, no stalling as he effortlessly followed each bull’s eye with fluid motions. Of course this was still a dream, so by that logic, Lance could very well just snap his fingers and all the targets would be down just like that, but it was still pretty impressive to watch him gun them down without missing a beat. The last target was down seconds before the timer buzzed at zero, Lance setting the rifle down on the counter and turning around with a smug smile on his face.

“You may now applaud and praise my magnificent skills, thank you~” he flaunted. Shiro just rolled his eyes, letting out a groan and shaking his head.

“I was going to say, good job, but I’ve changed my mind – it wasn’t _that_ good,” he mocked. Lance put a hand to his chest like he had been stabbed, faking a wounded expression on his face as he turned back to the stall booth.

“Fine then, I guess I’ll just keep this prize to myself,” he huffed, holding up a giant stuffed black lion plushie. Shiro all but snatched the lion from the other man’s grasp, hugging it close to his chest as he glared up at the brunet through the fluffy mane of the lion. Lance burst out laughing, clutching at his sides at the sight of a six foot tall, grown man cuddling a giant teddy and pouting like a kid who was just denied a sugary treat. The raven head must’ve realised how silly he must look, because suddenly he was laughing too, in spite of himself, adjusting his hold on the lion so he could reach out for Lance’s hand.

“In all seriousness, that was pretty impressive, even if this is a dream,” Shiro complimented. Lance stuttered a little, a deep blush painting his cheeks as he laughed shyly.

“Y-yeah, w-well – I was pretty much the king of shooting games back home; all my little cousins would drag me around to win prizes for them,” Lance mentioned.

“Big family, huh?” Shiro asked, a little curious about the man sharing this dream with him. Lance nodded and with a tug of their hands, began walking them through the formless blobs, weaving through the game booths till something catches their interest. Shiro relishes in the feeling of Lance’s hand in his right hand, knowing he’d never be able to in the waking world.

“Yeah, you could say that – I’ve got three siblings, two older and one younger. They’re all getting brats of their own soon – well, two of them are at least,” Lance laughed. Shiro smiled as he listened to the brunet talk about his family, how he’s looking forward to being an uncle soon, that both set of grandparents are still alive and kicking apparently, how his mother is still sending him care packages even though he’s already a twenty-something year old adult and paying his own rent. He asked about Shiro’s family in return, not that Shiro had much to talk about when it came to his family. Compared to Lance’s, his family seemed very small with just him and his parents. His grandparents lived in Japan, but they weren’t on good terms with his folks; he had an estranged aunt somewhere in the world he met once or twice as a kid, but other than that no one really talked about her.

A test of strength game eventually caught their attention, Lance giving him a cocky grin before letting his hand go. Rolling up imaginary sleeves and rubbing his palms together, Lance gave Shiro a wink before leaning over to pick up the weighty hammer. He jerked a little, not expecting the weight before adjusting his footing, trying to ground himself as he grunted and huffed, struggling to lift the object even an inch off the ground. Shiro had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud; for all intents and purposes, dream logic should’ve allowed Lance to lift the hammer with ease, but it was like the time with the ice cream the other night. The brunet just barely managed to get the hammer off the ground, trying not to topple off balance as he brought it down on the spring, the little metal bar not even bouncing two feet up the plank before it dropped down.

Shiro laughed hard as he buried his face into the lion’s mane to avoid the scalding glare dark blue eyes were giving him. He could hear Lance complaining about his stupid noodle arms, and how the game was probably rigged or some other. After slowing down his laughs to a low chuckle, Shiro handed the lion plushie off to Lance, offering a comforting smile to the man before turning to the offending game looming over them. Taking a deep breath, Shiro gripped the handle tight, effortlessly lifting the heavy weight up and over his head; he spread his hands out a little to accommodate the weight better before bringing it down with a hard swing. The bell rings loudly through the air, the lights of the plank flashing with a victory pattern as Shiro picks out a giant grey shark plushie and turns to Lance with wide grin. The other man is just standing there, mouth agape and eyes wide before he pouts, brows furrowing together as he huffs.

“No fair, you’re built like a Greek god! Of course you’re gonna smash it!” Lance whines. Shiro just laughs and the two exchange plushies before taking each other’s hands again and start walking. Lance steers them away from the games and straight for the snack booths, going right for the funnel cake he had been raving about at the start. They couldn’t taste anything since it was a dream, but from Lance’s in depth and – probably – exaggerated descriptions, these lumps of sugary powdered fried dough were heaven in the mouth. Shiro couldn’t help but tease as Lance picked away at various sugary and deep-fried treats, occasionally stealing a few bites here and there being offered to him.

“You should be thankful this is a dream, or you’d be making yourself so sick right now,” Shiro pointed out.

“Psh, even if it wasn’t a dream, I’d still be stuffing my face – carnivals were made for letting go of responsibilities,” Lance claimed, licking the last bit of crumbs from the fried Twinkie he practically devoured off his fingers. Shiro only gave him a nagging look, but let it go as they linked their hands again. The sun had moved steadily across the sky, the vast blue canvas slowly shifting to orange as the lights around the grounds blinked to life. The noisy chatter of a lively crowd buzzed around them like white noise, drowned out along with music that typically played at a carnival as they walked and talked, Lance idly swinging their arms between them. There was a chiming noise from the loud speakers stationed around the fairgrounds, and although neither of them heard a single word from the announcement, they already seemed to know exactly what was going to happen next.

Sharing a knowing smile, the two men made their way over to the Ferris wheel lit up with blinking rainbow lights, easily slipping into an empty car just the two of them – and two giant animal plushies. The wheel began to move in a slow motion, the car rocking just a little as it did two full cycles; as expected, their car came to a stop right at the top of the Ferris wheel, giving them a perfect view of the entire carnival, now glowing with the evening lights. The sun had completely set, the sky a flawless clear black – the perfect backdrop to enjoy the firework show. It was a cheesy and an absolutely cliché way to end their “date”, but neither could complain, simply sitting in peaceful silence as they waited for the fireworks to start.

Shiro turned his gaze to admire the man sitting next to him, the brunet watching the flashing lights and formless shadows moving in spurts and blinks like a stop motion picture. His dark skin looked paler, almost glowing in the luminescent light, a golden halo framing his face making his rounded features look even softer. Deep blue eyes seemed to be reflecting the stars in them, and if Shiro looked close enough, he was sure he could find an entire galaxy there. Shiro felt his heart blip out of his chest, unconsciously hugging the black lion teddy tighter as he kept staring at Lance. The other must’ve sensed his eyes on him, dark blue clashing with grey as Lance turned his head to face him; Shiro caught his breath, finding himself drowning in the ocean that was gazing back at him.

“…is there something on my face?” Lance asked curiously, raising a fine brow at him.

“You’re just – you’re really beautiful…” Shiro responded automatically. A deep red spread all over Lance’s face, the brunet looking away and stumbling over his words.

“S-Shiro! You – you shouldn’t say stuff like that! It’s only the second date!” his voice was strained with embarrassment. Shiro blinked a moment before it registered what he just said, a small pink blush appearing on his cheeks as he smiled a shy smile.

“I mean it, Lance. I – I’ve never met anyone like you before,” he continued on. Lance shifted in his seat, a look of apprehension appearing on his face as he flapped the fins on his shark plushie. Shiro noticed the shift in the other’s demure, noticing the way the brunet’s shoulders were tense, the way he was biting down nervously on his bottom lip and the way he avoided his eyes. Lance was scared. Without thinking, he reached out for the brunet’s hand, giving it a tight squeezed as he encouraged the man to look at him. Lance looked at him in surprise, eyes wide at the unexpected gesture as he opened his mouth.

“Shiro, what –”

“You have a smile so bright it can outshine the sun; when I look into your eyes, I can see countless galaxies in them; I never get tired of hearing you laugh, because the sound makes my heart soar; you have a joyous energy that is contagious and never fails to lift me up; you –!” Shiro startled at the hand shoving him in the face, Lance practically scrambling in his seat and a blush so red he was sure the brunet might explode.

“ _Oh my god! Stop!_ Are you _trying_ to kill me?!” Lance near shrieked. Shiro let out a loud laugh, pulling the hand away from his face as he tried to list off more things he found attractive about the man. Lance retaliated by making loud nonsense noises, even using his plushie to smack the raven head in the face as he kept going. A loud bang and a flash of bright light diverted their attention to the night sky, the barrage of fireworks beginning to flare up in sparks and patterns. The two paused in their little sparring match, giving each other a tender smile before pulling apart, settling into the plastic bench to watch the fireworks. The car swayed gently, being pushed by an invisible force, the rumbling of the fireworks bursting with colours filling the air around them.

“…we’re still on for tomorrow night?” Shiro asked, stealing a glance at the man sitting beside him. Lance seemed to ponder the question for several minutes, a finger tapping at his chin lightly before he shrugged.

“I _guueessss_ – as long as you don’t start praising me like some star-struck groupie.”

“I thought you were all about the praise – mister sharpshooter,” Shiro teased. Lance half laughed half groaned at that, sliding forward in his seat as he brought a hand to cover half his face. Shiro grinned, turning back to watch the last of the fireworks as the sparks frizzled out. When the last rocket was fired and had completely faded from the sky, the Ferris wheel jerked back to life, slowly beginning its descent back to the ground and likely signaling the end of the dream.

“So, on our next dream date, where would you like to go?” Lance suddenly questioned, straightening himself up in his seat.

“What?” Shiro blinked, not following the thought.

“Well, the carnival was my idea for tonight’s date, so now it’s your turn to pick. Any place you’ve been wanting to go?” Lance expanded.

“…promise not to laugh?” Shiro asked, suddenly looking a little embarrassed after giving some thought. Lance only cocked his head to the side, giving him a puzzled look. The dark haired man cleared his throat, staring down at the black lion in his arms as he spoke. “I – kinda want to go to Disneyland; I’ve never been to it…”

“You’ve never been to Disneyland – like _ever_??” Lance looked aghast, staring at the other man like he had a second head.

“My parents weren’t really big on the whole ‘family fun experience’, and between everything else that’s happened in my life, I just – never got the chance to go,” Shiro admitted. He dared to glance over at Lance, seeing the shocked expression turn into a wide grin, the man leaning in close till their shoulders were touching.

“Dude, dude – okay it’s settled then! We’re going to Disney tomorrow night! Do you wanna go to the California one or the Florida one?” the brunet asked, and Shiro could feel the excitement vibrating off him.

“...Is there really a difference?” he questioned.

“Uh, of course there’s a difference! You know what, let’s go to Cali, because I know that one better,” Lance ranted. “You’re gonna love it, I promise!”

“I look forward to tomorrow night’s date then,” Shiro laughed, finding himself falling into the pools of those deep blue eyes. Lance leaned in closer – intimately close and Shiro held his breath, their noses just barely touching as they stilled. It was the longest second he had ever experienced in a dream, the lights and the music, everything starting to fade to black around them. Shiro wanted to close the tiny distance between him and Lance; wanted so desperately to feel the phantom touches as his eyelids slid shut.

Dark lashes fluttered open as the familiar shrill of his alarm clock blared through the air, the morning light flitting through the open curtains hanging over the windows. Shiro blinked a few times at the blank ceiling, feeling a smile stretch across his face; despite having spent an entire “day” being dragged around a carnival, he felt more rested than he has in a long while. He sat up with a hum, stretching his arm over his head before reaching over to shut off his alarm. He stood up from the bed, giving his back another stretch and then made his way to the bathroom to start his morning routine, feeling lighter on his feet than usual. He squinted against the bright light, blinking a few times to try and adjust to it before making his way to the sink.

He stopped at his own reflection, feeling the lightness from before crash down with the heavy weight of reality. He couldn’t help but scowl at the scar across his face, despite having lived with it and numerous others all over his body for the past couple years. He reached his hand to pull the hair away from his face, frowning at the streak of white falling over his eyes; he hated that patch, hated what it represented. His hand ghosted over his right shoulder, stopping short at the fleshy nub where his bicep should’ve been; he flinched at the phantom pain flaring under his touch. Although it had long healed over, he could still feel the burn, the shock that had racked his whole body from that time. Shiro glared at his own ragged face a moment longer, before reaching to yank the cabinet open and retrieve his toothbrush, whatever pleasantness he was feeling before gone just like that.

He didn’t bother with combing his hair – he wasn’t going to leave the apartment so he didn’t see the point in trying to look less bed-ridden. He slammed the cabinet shut, stalking out of the bathroom so he didn’t have to keep staring at his own face, pulling out some day clothes to change into before wondering into the kitchen for his usual morning coffee. He didn’t bother with food this time, not feeling up to forcing the dry bran cereal down his throat; he leaned up against the kitchen counter with a heavy sigh, waiting for the coffee machine to warm up. When the machine beeped, he set up his mug and pressed the button for his setting, listening to the grind and watching the steaming hot liquid pour into his mug. He wondered – would Lance still look at him if he ever saw the real him?

Shiro shook his head at the thought, taking his mug and heading out to the living to sit on the couch, turning the TV on to distract his mind. It doesn’t matter anyways, he told himself – even if Lance was a real person and not some figment of his imagination, they weren’t ever going to meet in real life, probably. For all he knew, Lance could be living on the other side of the world; not that it made sense since they seemed to sleep around the same time, so he figured they were close in time zones at least. Shiro kept telling himself that over and over again – they weren’t ever going to meet, it would be fine and he could keep on indulging in these dream dates, for however long they would last. It didn’t stop the small pang of guilt in his chest though, finally setting the remote down so he could grab his coffee and sip away at it slowly.

Tonight – if his mind would allow it – he would try to show Lance the real him, or at least maybe make an attempt to tell him who he really was in the waking world.


	3. Food is for suckers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro goes grocery shopping; Matt brings up some interesting points.

It was crowded in the super mart – not like wild zoo crowded, but still enough that it reminded him why he preferred grocery shopping in the morning. Afternoon trips were usually filled with tired mothers and their screaming kids picking up after-school snacks and last minute ingredients for dinner; cranky old crows who just wanted their coupon discounts and kicking up a fuss when told their two year old papers were expired and thus not acceptable. Groups of teenagers were hanging around the snack aisles and gossiping loudly, one or two popping their gum bubbles obnoxiously loud – yeah, Shiro hated afternoon shopping, but it was the only time Matt was available and he really needed food. Still, despite the harrowing trudge through the store, Shiro still found himself in a good mood, strolling through the aisle with Matt trailing behind and pushing the cart for him.

“You seem to be a doing a lot better lately,” Matt commented out of the blue, leaning against the cart handle. Shiro only blinked, shrugging his shoulders casually as he dumped some canned beans into the cart.

“It’s not like I haven’t been, you know,” Shiro simply answered back. The redhead only gave him a narrow gaze, straightening up as he pushed the cart and followed after the taller man leading through the aisles.

“ _Yeeeaaah_ , okay first off – you hardly ever leave your apartment unless it’s for the doctor and food; second your complexion actually has colour to it, like you’re not a white sheet anymore – plus you shaved, like actually shaved! Not to mention the fact you called _me_ to help drive and food shop, which you like never do – _ever!_ ” Matt rambled on, still staring at the dark haired man with narrow eyes. Shiro just shrugged again, conveniently turning his attention to the stacks of sliced bread to his left, going through the different brands and types before picking out a pack and dumped it in the cart. The Holts had been his neighbors for as long as he could remember and Matt had been one of the first friends he had made when his family first moved to the neighborhood. They hadn’t gotten along at first, with Shiro being a little more reserved back then and Matt being over friendly and lacking any sense of personal space, but now they were best of friends. It was Matt who stubbornly stood by him after his discharge from the military with the loss of his arm, periodically barging into his apartment to remind him that he still had people who cared, who didn’t see him any differently because of what happened.

Shiro chose to ignore the scrutinizing look the redhead was giving him, touching his hand to his jaw as he continued to look up and down the shelves. It wasn’t smooth, seeing as he had left a little bit of stubble along his chin, but at least he didn’t look like he had spent a week trudging through the wilderness like a lost inexperienced camper. It wasn’t like Shiro didn’t care for his appearance, he just – hadn’t felt like putting much effort into cleaning himself up. As Matt had pointed out, he rarely ever left his flat for anything besides regular doctor visits and food, and besides the other man, he rarely had any visitors, so there wasn’t really a need to look presentable. Though lately he has been making an effort to tidy himself up a little, despite that he really had no reason to; no, actually that was a lie.

Shiro knew the reasons behind it and honestly, he felt a little silly for them. The past month, nearly every night, he has been on several “dates” with Lance and every time he woke up, he found himself falling a little more for the man. The youthful energy, the vibrancy that radiated from Lance was infectious, that same energy beginning to leak in Shiro’s waking life, making him feel alive for the time in years. He wasn’t sure when it started exactly; only that he had woken up from one of their “dates” one morning, saw his rugged reflection in the mirror like usual and finally decided he had enough of being greeted by this sorry looking face. For the first time in months, he dusted off the electric shaver and actually shaved.

He hadn’t realised how such a small thing could make a world of difference, feeling better than he had in a long time. He had tackled the knots in his hair after that; it was a painful struggle of tug and pull, but eventually he was able to run the comb through in one smooth motion. There was a sense of pride swelling in his chest, that he could run his fingers through the long locks and not get stopped by a knot – a thought that quickly morphed to Lance’s own tanned, slender fingers sliding through his hair, feathery light touches tracing the lines of his jaw, soft chaste kisses being peppered all over his cheeks.

Shiro could feel the heat burning his cheeks at the thought, hastily turning the corner in hopes to keep Matt from seeing it. He cleared his throat at the group of teen girls clogging up the aisle, politely asking them to move so he could pass by. One of the girls turned to give him an annoyed look before her gaze immediately flitted to his right side; he ignored the look of disgust as the girls shuffled to the side, standing out of his way like he was disease ridden. Shiro didn’t even bother giving them a small ‘thanks’, walking past them as he brushed off their behavior – he was used to getting this kind of reaction. Matt on the other hand, glowered at the girls all but growling at them as they turned their noses away. The rest of their shopping trip was relatively quiet before heading over to the cashier, Shiro paying for the groceries while Matt packed them up in the bags they had brought along.

Once everything was packed and paid for, they headed out of the store and out to the parking lot; it was a bit of walk since the only available spaces were on the other side of the lot. Shiro was glad he had called Matt now – he didn’t have a lot of things to carry, but it still would’ve been a tad difficult with only one arm. With everything loaded into the backseat and secured, they hopped into the front seats, strapped in their seatbelts and Matt started up the engine and pulled out of the parking space. The first few moments of the ride was silent, Shiro noticing that his friend’s knuckles were starting to turn white from gripping the steering wheel too hard.

“Matt – it’s fine, so don’t worry about it,” Shiro spoke up. He could see the redhead shake his head, not taking his eyes off the road.

“It’s not fine! They shouldn’t have been so snobbish about it! God, I bet they’re the bitches of their high school, always looking down their noses like they’re goddamn queens or something,” Matt ranted, nearly pulling his hands back from the wheel. He stopped raving at the sound of his friend laughing, sparing a quick glance before focusing back on the road; he felt a light pat on his shoulder, hearing the assurance in the other’s voice.

“While I agree that they probably are the bitches of their school, they’re still teenagers – you can’t tell me you weren’t ignorant and close-minded once,” Shiro teased, earning a grunt from the redhead as he slouched against the wheel.

“Okay first off – there was a thing under my bed, okay! Even if it just turned out to be a stray kitten my sister was trying to hide from our parents…and second, they didn’t need to be so rude! You think their parents would’ve taught them _some_ manners at least!” Matt defended. Shiro just laughed, shaking his head before reaching over to fiddle with the radio knobs on the dashboard. The rage tension slowly slipped away from Matt, shoulders relaxing as Shiro settled on a station playing some old jazz music, their conversations picking up again.

“Oh yeah, before I forget – Keith’s gonna be in town this weekend and wants to know if you wanna meet up?” Matt asked. Since they were stopped at a red light, he was able to turn his eyes away from the road, looking at Shiro with a hopeful smile. Shiro couldn’t help the small trill of happiness at the mention of Keith wanting to see him – he hasn’t seen the younger man in over three years, and it wasn’t until a few months ago that they even tried to reach out to each other. Keith was the second closest friend Shiro had in his life, considering he used to babysit the other all the time when he was kid. The last conversation they had before Keith left to pursue his dreams hadn’t been the friendliest and not a day had past where Shiro didn’t regret it.

It had been bad; Shiro had been stuck in his head, unable to handle the stress and sleepless nights in the weeks since returning home from the war front. He had been shutting people out, snapping at anyone who got too close for his comfort; he didn’t remember his exact words to Keith that night, but he knew they were bad. He remembered it clearly, the look of hurt and betrayal on the younger man’s face before a look of rage took over; he was surprised Keith hadn’t punched him in the nose as he stormed out of the apartment, screaming that if he wanted to waste his life away, then that was on him. It was weeks before the numbness finally subsided enough for the guilt to hit him like a bag of bricks; Shiro had wanted to apologise to Keith, to tell him hadn’t meant what he said, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He knew he had become a mess, letting his pride blind him and refusing to lower his head to seek help; he had brought this on himself and he couldn’t bear the thought of bringing down the people he cared about. At the time he believed he couldn’t recover himself, that it was better to push everyone away so they wouldn’t be dragged into the darkness that had sunk its claws in him.

Shiro stole a quick glance to the redhead staring expectantly at him, realising he was still waiting for an answer. The light turned green, Matt shifting his attention back to the road, foot pressing down on the pedal to push the car forward. He has never said it out loud, but Shiro was grateful that Matt was even more stubborn than him.

“I would like that – it’s been a long time since we’ve talked face to face,” Shiro confirmed. A wide grin lit up Matt’s face, letting out a small noise of glee. It was Matt who had urged Shiro to message Keith, to take the first step towards mending their broken bond; this was mostly because the redhead was getting sick of being their middleman, when it was clear both parties were feeling guilty over how they left things.

“Great! He said his flight comes in Thursday night, so he figures Friday for dinner? Sound good to you?” Matt asked. A mix of emotions flooded Shiro’s gut – he wanted to see Keith again, to hear how well his life has been going in person, but at the same time it meant that he’d have less time to spend with Lance in their dreams. Since these dreams started, Shiro had gotten into the habit of going to bed earlier so he could have more time with Lance; although he wasn’t actually sure how much time they spent together since time was irrelevant in dreams.

“Uh, could we do lunch instead?” he suggested, hoping the other wouldn’t pick up the uneasiness in his tone.

“He said he’s bringing a friend along, so he was gonna spend the day showing them around,” Matt replied, raising a curious brow at the raven head. “…why? You got plans for Friday?”

“No, not really…” Shiro answered hastily, straining a smile. He couldn’t very well tell his friend that he had a “date” planned for the night – especially since he would be sleeping for it. Matt wouldn’t believe him anyways, because Shiro still couldn’t believe it himself and it’s been happening for a month. Matt only cocked his head at him, giving him a brief, calculating glare before shrugging and focused back on the road. He explained he’d get the details from Keith later and would drop by the apartment to help Shiro out with picking an outfit and what not. Shiro had to frown, huffing out that he was perfectly capable of dressing himself, earning a snort from the younger man and a muttered whisper about his poor fashion sense.

Once they pulled into Shiro’s apartment block, they filed out of the car and started unloading the bags of groceries. Matt took the keys from Shiro so he could unlock the front door for them, heading straight to the open kitchen to put the bags down and began sorting through them, putting away the refrigerated stuff first then sorting the dry stuff. Shiro stood off to the side, letting Matt sort through his groceries, occasionally pointing out when something needed to be stored elsewhere, but otherwise keeping out of the way. With everything put away and the shopping bags stowed back in the cupboard, Matt asked if there were any other chores he could help out with, since he was here. Shiro shook his head, saying he could handle it and didn’t need to trouble the redhead; Matt hesitated a moment, taking a sweep around the apartment with a critical gaze. Seeming to judge it as truth, he nodded and gave Shiro a brief hug before heading to the door, saying he’d text him the details later.

The front door shut with a small click, leaving the dark haired man to the welcomed silence of his flat; he wondered over to the couch and plopped down with a tired sigh. Despite that it was just a short trip to the super mart, he still felt exhausted from being around crowds of people; of course compared to how bad it used to be before, this slight exhaustion was a positive change to the usual anxiety. He closed his eyes, feeling a smile stretch across his face as his thoughts drifted to who was causing these changes. He still firmly believed he and Lance would never meet in real life, but – in the off chance they did, he wanted to look his best for the other man. He wanted to be the person Lance was meeting in their dreams – or at least half the person the brunet thought he was.

That same pang of guilt floated to the front of his mind – Lance still didn’t know about his missing arm, or the numerous scars that marred his flesh. Stormy-grey eyes stared blankly at the off-white ceiling, a heavy sigh filling the room as Shiro slumped back against the couch; he wanted to tell Lance – to tell him of the demons he was still fighting, the demons that the other’s presence seemed to chase away at night, giving him peace he hadn’t felt in so long. Shiro bit his lip, straightening up as he reached for the TV remote; later – he could tell Lance later, maybe in a few more months if their shared dreams kept up that long.


	4. Hammocks are glorified swings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Shiro have a talk; Shiro's fears get the better of him.

Waves crashed gently against the clean white sand, the distant call of seagulls chirping through the air with the wind whistling through the leaves of the fresh palms. The hammock swayed softly, rocking at just the right speed that it could put a baby to sleep; not that either of its occupants would be sleeping, considering they _were_ asleep in real life.

Shiro hummed contently to himself, his left arm resting lazily across his stomach, his right arm being used as a pillow for Lance’s head, fingers idly combing through soft brown locks. The brunet was snuggled up close to his side, nose buried in the crook of Shiro’s neck as a finger traced lazy patterns on his chest. Every so often Shiro would plant a kiss to the top of Lance’s head, earning him a giggle and a kiss to the junction of his neck in response. They had been like this for hours, neither making any attempts to move or having any desire to do so, happy to just lie in this giant hammock surrounded by several plush pillows, a gentle breeze blowing over them. They would make small talk here and there, Shiro sometimes whispering sweet nothings into Lance’s ear, making the other blush and receiving a playful bat at his chest, which Shiro would just laugh at and continue to rain small pecks against the flushed cheeks.

They had gotten into a tickle fight earlier, the hammock tipping precariously but never completely flipping them over; sometimes it was nice these were just dreams otherwise both men would’ve found themselves with a face full of sand. They had settled after that, content to watch the clouds drift slowly across the sky, enjoying each other’s presence so close together. Shiro reached his left hand to catch Lance’s, the brunet tilting his head back enough to give him a puzzled look; dark grey gazed lovingly into deep blue, bringing the hand in his grasp to his lips, placing tender kisses to the long tanned fingers. Lance blushed at the gesture, burying his face back into Shiro’s neck as he groaned, mumbling at how embarrassing the dark haired man was. Shiro just chuckled, entwining their fingers together and wishing he could feel the warmth their skin made.

“Hey, Lance…” Shiro began, waiting till he had the man’s attention before continuing on. “I – might be a little late for our date on Friday…or I might not make it at all, I’m not entirely sure how this works…”

“Why not?” Lance asked his tone curious as he cocked his head to the side.

“An old friend of mine is going to be in town and wants to meet up. I haven’t seen them in a long time, so we’re probably going to be out late – really late, most likely. There’s a lot we’re probably gonna catch up on and I just wanted to let you know, in case it gets really late so you’re not waiting for me or wondering where I am,” Shiro started rambling. A finger pressed lightly to his lips quieted him down, Lance chuckling a little as he smiled brightly at him.

“Shiro, its fine I understand – we’re both real people with our own lives, so I don’t mind if I don’t get to see you for one night,” Lance assured. Nothing but relief washed through Shiro, feeling himself relax against the brunet as he smiled back. “Besides, this works out for me too – I’m going to be busy Friday night and I’m not sure when I’ll get to bed.” Lance shrugged, reaching his arm around to pull the other man closer to him; Shiro obliged, scooting just an inch closer so the two of them were practically chest to chest. He reached his arm around Lance’s shoulder, holding him tight and burying his nose against the soft tresses of his dark hair. He really wished he could take in the brunet’s scent.

“…Lance, I –” the words stopped short, his throat tightening around them. Dark blue eyes glanced up at him with an expecting look, a small questioning hum escaping Lance as he waited. Shiro swallowed hard before shaking his head, forcing a smile as he leaned forward to bump their noses together.

“Nothing, I am just – really happy to be here with you right now.”

“ _Shiroooo_! Stop! You’re gonna kill me, I swear!” Lance squealed, a deep blush dusting his cheeks. He tried to push away from the other man, but Shiro held him in place, seizing the opportunity to attack the lankier man’s neck with kisses. Lance squeaked and squirmed, trying to wriggle free from the playful assault and enact his own revenge against Shiro.

_I want to meet you in real life._

There were such simple words, but Shiro couldn’t get them out; Lance still didn’t know about him, he hadn’t told him. He was afraid, afraid that Lance would turn away from him just like everyone else did in the waking world. He was afraid Lance wouldn’t want to be saddled by his traumas, to deal with the raging anxieties and stress that came with him; but mostly he was afraid of the disappointment he would see in those ocean blue eyes if Lance ever found out the lies.

Lance managed to pull away from him, sprawling out on the ridiculously large hammock as he panted heavily, a breathy laugh on his lips. Shiro felt a sharp stab in his chest, slowly and carefully crawling towards the brunet till he was hovering over the man, tenderly taking his face with both hands. Lance blinked up at him, confusion showing on his face at the strange look the raven head was giving him. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Shiro hushed him softly, leaning down to capture his lips in a gentle kiss. Lance tensed for a moment before relaxing, reaching his arms to wrap around the other’s neck, slender fingers brushing against the shaved parts on the back of his head. This wasn’t the first time they’ve shared a kiss, but it was one of many where Shiro wished he could feel the other.

He wanted to know how Lance’s mouth felt against his, if the supple flesh was just as soft in real life as it looked in their dreams; he wanted to know Lance’s scent, if the man smelled like the ocean with just a hint of citrus like he always imagined; if the thick brown locks he curled his fingers through every night were as silky and smooth as they looked. Shiro pulled back from their kiss for a brief moment before diving back down to place another, fingers caressing the olive skin beneath them; Lance responded eagerly, blunt nails lightly scratching the back of his scalp. One day, Shiro thought to himself, one day he’d find the courage to ask Lance if they could meet up for real; he could only hope that the other would look past the scars, the missing arm and still love him for who he was underneath them.


	5. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro is anxious and Keith introduces his "friend" ~~warnings: awful fanart included~~

Shiro was nervous. He was more than happy to see Keith again, to hopefully repair the damage he had done to their relationship and have the other back in his life again. After weeks of hounding from Matt, Shiro had plucked up the courage to send a message to Keith, having fretted over it for days before he finally sent a simple apology. It had been hours before he got a reply back, his stomach churning with dread and anxiety that the younger man didn’t want to speak to him again. He was surprised that the message he got back was an apology as well; they had spent almost an hour texting back and forth, trying to take blame for their own actions while reprimanding the other that it wasn’t their fault. Shiro had to laugh – even after all he’s put them through, they could still argue like children even over the phone.

Their conversations were still pretty sparse though, since Keith seemed to be busy most of the time and Shiro wasn’t really in a good habit of picking up his phone to check his messages – something Matt constantly nagged him about. Most of their messages usually consisted of ‘hey how are you? Good? Weather sucks’ and the likes; though Shiro did find out that Keith had earned a degree in law and currently was working as a case worker for children who were suffering domestic abuse. Pride swelled in Shiro’s chest at that knowledge, knowing full well what the younger man had gone through before he had been adopted by the lovely couple that lived across the street from his family back then.

Matt came over to help pick out an outfit, just like he promised, shuffling through Shiro’s closet till he found something he deemed acceptable. Shiro just rolled his eyes, taking the casual grey button up and casual black slacks; he allowed Matt to help pull the shirt on and button it up, but he was determined to pull his pants on by himself. He debated about tying off the right sleeve, but didn’t want to wrinkle one of the few nicer shirts he owned, so he opted to have it rolled up instead so it wouldn’t get caught in doors. He allowed Matt to brush his hair out, the younger pulling it back into a loose ponytail so it wouldn’t be in the way when he ate.

Once Shiro was ready, Matt drove them over to the restaurant they had planned to meet Keith at; it was an old family favourite and one of their usual hangouts when they were kids. The nerves drummed through Shiro as the car pulled into the parking lot, swallowing his fears as they approached the glass doors. He was thrilled to see Keith, he really was, but he still couldn’t stop the anxiety that maybe he had messed up worse than he thought, that maybe the other didn’t want to rekindle their friendship. A hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts, glancing over at Matt to see a reassuring smile on his face. No words were said between them, but they didn’t need it, Shiro hesitantly returning the smile before taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves. He could do this.

The hostess greeted them with a cheery smile, asking if they wanted a booth or table; Matt told her there was someone waiting for them, the woman glancing down at her screen briefly before finding the name. She gestured around the right corner, over to the rows of booth that occupied that side of the restaurant. Both men thanked her before heading in the direction pointed out to them; the hostess’ eyes briefly glanced to Shiro’s right side, her smile faltering a little before she quickly recovered. Shiro couldn’t help but feel a little subconscious at the action, but at least she kept polite and didn’t say anything – something few people did around him. Matt just rolled his eyes, shaking his head but didn’t fuss about it since the woman didn’t make a comment.

They rounded the corner and just three booths down, Shiro easily spotted the familiar backside of his old friend. Even with the shorter hair, there was no way he would never not recognize Keith; he assumed the man sitting next to him in the booth was the friend Keith had brought along. They were laughing loudly about something, the sound easily heard above the noisy chatter from the other customers in the restaurant. Shiro froze in his tracks, eyes going wide as the other’s laughter reached his ears – he knew this laugh.

“Hey nerd! Don’t tell me you’ve started this party without us?” Matt greeted once they were close enough to the booth. Keith turned his head at the greeting, a wide smile lighting up his face as he practically climbed over the other man in the booth, not even giving him a warning. The other man squawked, holding his hands up in offense as he glared up at Keith.

“Uh, _excuse me!_ Rude!” he bristled.

“I _told_ you I wanted to sit on the outside,” Keith scoffed, rolling his eyes at the brunet.

“Jerk,” was the only answer he got. Keith ignored him, turning around and practically ran into Shiro, nearly knocking him over as he pulled the older man into a hug. Shiro startled for a moment, not expecting the hug as he stared wide-eyed at the raven head.

“…okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Keith Kogane?” he teased. He heard Keith snort, the younger pulling back just enough to give him a cocky smile.

“What? I can’t give you a hug? It’s been almost three years,” he simply answered.

“Last I checked, you didn’t give hugs; in fact, you punched me in the gut the one time I tried to hug you, you brat,” Shiro countered. Keith just shrugged, pulling back so he could lightly punch him on the shoulder.

“Things are different now – besides, you were trying to tickle me so that doesn’t count,” Keith reminded. Shiro couldn’t help the grin, feeling his previous anxieties float away like smoke; he had been expecting this to be awkward and maybe a touch tense, but there was nothing of the sorts between them.

“Hey, don’t I get a hug? I mean, I haven’t seen you in three years either!” Matt whined, hands on his hips as he gave the raven head a pout.

“Suck a lemon, Matt,” Keith spat back playful. The redhead looked affronted, slapping a hand to his chest as he pretended to look insulted. He huffed, crossing his arms as he turned his nose away.

“Oh, I see how it is – guess I know where I stand in the friend hierarchy,” he snuffed. There was a moment pause before the three of them burst out laughing, Keith reaching out to give Matt a hug as well, letting out a small ‘oof’ at the tight squeeze the redhead gave him. A cough from the booth diverted their attention to the brunet still sitting there, looking up at them an amused expression.

“Hi there, I’m the ‘friend’ Keith oh so unwillingly and forcibly dragged away from his nice, cozy, warm bed back in Portland so he could be ignored at this touching reunion,” the man quipped, but there was no hint of malice in his tone. Keith just rolled his eyes, waving a hand between them as he properly introduced everyone.

“So, this is Lance McClain, friend and current roommate from Portland. Lance, this is Matt Holt, fellow space enthusiast and conspiracy theorist –” Shiro had to snicker as Lance groaned ‘oh god, not another one’, which earned them both a short glare from Keith. “And this is Takashi Shirogane, but we just call him Shiro – he’s kinda like an annoying, doting older brother.”

“Nice to finally meet you two; Keith talks a lot about you – _a lot_ ,” Lance stressed, a light pink blush dusting Keith’s cheeks. It was brief, but Shiro caught the look of surprise that had flashed across Lance’s face when his name came up. With the introductions out of the way, they all settled down in the booth, this time Keith waiting for Lance to stand up before sliding back into his seat. Matt took the inside of the booth, sitting directly across from Keith which left Shiro to sit directly across from Lance. Shiro could feel his stomach doing flips, hoping it wasn’t showing on his face as a waitress came by to give them the menus.

Lance’s hair had a bit of a kinky texture to it, the dark brown curls seeming to stick out whichever way they pleased; his skin was a shade or two darker than an average tan, small clusters of freckles littering his nose, cheeks and forehead. He was wearing a pair of dark blue, thick framed glasses making his dark blue eyes seem wider than they really were; Shiro recognised those eyes instantly. He had found himself lost in those deep, vibrant oceans so many times before it was impossible to not recognise them. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind – despite the appearance this is the same Lance he’s been dating in his dreams for the past month. Shiro wanted to laugh a bitter laugh at the situation; here he had been too scared to ask Lance if they could meet in real life and now the universe had them sitting opposite of each other.

He quickly distracted himself with the menu, skimming through the options as the others discussed out loud the choices. There was a little back and forth between Keith and Matt about which appetizer platter they should split before they compromised on something. Lance on the other hand spent five minutes whining over the menu, slouching in his seat as he complained about how unfairly delicious and calorie-laden everything sounded.

“My god, just get the damn burger already, Lance!” Keith finally snapped, practically throwing his hands up in the air.

“And spoil my diet? No thanks!” Lance huffed, straightening up as he continued to glare down at the offending menu in his hands. A diet – that certainly explained the man’s obsession with food in their dream dates, a thought that amused Shiro far more than it should have.

“I think you’re allowed one cheat day,” Keith argued.

“Last time you encouraged me to take a cheat day, I ended up devouring two boxes of chocolate – big ones, might I add,” Lance glowered at the raven head.

“Oh please, you were like sickly thin before – a few extra pounds isn’t going to kill you,” Keith scoffed. He made his point by reaching over to pinch Lance in the side, the brunet letting out a squawk as he jumped away, smacking Keith on the shoulder. Keith just laughed at the reaction, Lance pouting at him as he muttered something under his breath; he caved in the end and ordered the burger despite his complaining. Once their orders were jotted down and the menus taken away, the four men began on their catching up; well Keith, Matt and Shiro started on their catch up chats. Lance mostly stayed quiet unless prompted to join the conversation or sneak in a little commentary to whatever story Keith was telling. That usually resulted in the other flustering or glaring at him, depending on how embarrassing it was, but Lance just laughed him off.

Lance and Keith talked briefly about their lives back in Portland, how they were sharing a decent two-bedroom apartment together, along with two cats. A Russian blue that belonged to Lance (who he affectionately named Blue) and an orange-haired striped calico who belonged to Keith (nicknamed Red, thanks to Lance of course). Keith was the one to bring up that Lance was an interior designer and a pretty good one at that, bragging about the lobby interior the other had arranged for a ritzy hotel back in Portland. Lance flustered at the brag, shoving at Keith in a way that was all too similar to the way Lance would shove Shiro in their dreams whenever he embarrassed him. Their meals being set down were a welcomed distraction, Lance folding his hands together in a small prayer of thanks before digging in. The conversations continued on between the four of them, mostly just talking about daily life and the occasional banter between Keith and Lance.

“You two seem to get along pretty well; did you guys hit it off right away?” Matt asked, giving the two men across the table a curious smile.

“Oh god, no – we actually _hated_ each other in the beginning and were constantly fighting,” Lance laughed, nudging Keith with his elbow.

“Yeah, it was pretty bad – we used to argue over everything; our _cats_ got along better than we did,” Keith answered sheepishly, pushing the food on his plate around with his fork.

“Seriously? If it was that bad, why did you two stay under the same roof?” Matt questioned.

“Keith needed a place to live and I needed help with rent, so we kinda just – stuck with it; though I guess it’s because we were both too stubborn to admit defeat,” Lance shrugged, reaching a hand to adjust the glasses slipping down his nose.

“So what changed? You two seem to be like best friends now,” Shiro asked. He was hoping to get Lance’s attention on him, seeing as the other man had barely glanced his way the whole time they’ve been talking. He didn’t want to think what that implied, forcing down the dark thoughts threatening to swarm his mind. Lance glanced at him briefly, their eyes catching for just a second before he quickly looked away, reaching a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Ah well, a friend of mine got sick of us fighting all the time, so he shoved us into a closet and refused to let us out until we talked it over,” he explained.

“Or until we murdered each other,” Keith added.

“ _Thankfully_ , talking came first and we worked things out,” Lance said quickly, giving Keith a sour look. The other just shrugged, but he didn’t stop the slight grin from appearing on his face; they still argued sometimes, and had days where they wouldn’t talk to each other, but at the end of it, they worked it out. Lance mirrored the grin, lightly bumping their shoulders together and began poking Keith in the side; the raven head flinched before retaliating and poking him back. The two men just laughed, getting lost in their little war for a moment before remembering they were in company; Matt just grinned at them, teasingly asking Keith if there was a wedding plan. Keith blushed at the tease, near shouting that it wasn’t like that between them; Lance only laughed before saying Keith wasn’t his type anyways.

Shiro simply sat in silence, feeling his face strain from the smile he was forcing himself to make. His heart was clenching in his chest, like a vice squeezing around it and threatening to drain it dry as he listened to Lance’s laugh. Normally, that laugh would be lifting him up, making him feel like he was weightless, but now it was pulling him down like a heavy chain. The same brilliant smile that lit up the brunet’s face was too searing, blinding him in an unpleasant way and he realised it was because that smile was never once directed at him. Shiro felt his heart shatter just a little, quickly dropping his gaze to his plate as the only explanation for Lance’s avoidance came to mind – Lance was disgusted with him.

His fingers curled tighter around the fork in his hand, forcing himself to take a steady, even breath, trying to shove the pain to the back of his mind. He needed to get through this night first, then he could go and breakdown once he was in the privacy of his own home. Shiro remained quiet for most of the conversations after that, only speaking up when prompted. Halfway through the meal, Lance stood up from the booth, quietly excusing himself from the conversations and the table, saying he needed to step out for a bit. Keith’s hand snapped out to grab his wrist, violet eyes giving him a knowing, nagging glare as Lance pulled his wrist free.

“Lance – you promised me,” Keith scolded.

“Hey, you said I could have one a day and this is my one,” Lance snapped, sounding a little irritated. Shiro glanced between the two men with a puzzled look, wondering what they were talking about before he noticed Lance reaching into his back pocket to pull out a small carton of cigarettes. He blinked – he didn’t know Lance smoked. Keith let out a sigh, but didn’t say anything more, giving a small curt nod; to Lance’s credit, he at least looked a little guilty, but it didn’t stop him from heading to the front doors, walking out into the night and disappearing around the corner. Shiro turned his attention to Keith when he heard the younger man sigh again, seeing him run a hand through his bangs as he slumped hard against the seat.

“…Lance smokes?” was all Shiro could say, still processing this new discovery.

“He’s been better about it since we started living together; he used to be a horrid chain smoker,” Keith shrugged. He was trying to seem casual about it, but anyone could see he was visibly upset. Shiro only hummed in response, the idea that Lance was a smoker still not quite sinking in. The quiet conversations between Keith and Matt was tuned out, dark grey eyes wandering to the glass doors the brunet had disappeared through. He could feel a tightness in his chest, carefully putting his fork down on the plate; he needed to talk to Lance. Shiro stood up slowly from the booth, excusing that he needed a little air; both Keith and Matt gave him a look of concern and for second he was worried one of them would offer to accompany him.

Thankfully they seem to decide he needed his space, both giving small nods and encouraging smiles; Shiro returned the gesture, quietly thanking them before heading out of the restaurant. The night air was warm against his face, a vast contrast to the cold air conditioning he’s been sitting in for the past hour. He quickly rounded the corner Lance had disappeared around, easily picking up the smell of cigarette smoke and spotting the younger man leaning against the faded brick wall, a lit cigarette in hand. Shiro cleared his throat to make his presence known, seeing Lance jump a little at the unexpected noise as he turned his head. He gave a stiff wave and weak smile before adverting his eyes to the stare at the asphalt; Shiro could hear his own heart breaking.

He approached Lance slowly, taking up the empty space next to the other man and leaned back heavily against the wall. Neither spared a glance at the other, the sounds of cars speeding along the roads and the faint chatter from inside the restaurant being the only conversation between them. Shiro glanced at Lance from the corner of his eye, watching as the brunet took in long, slow puffs of smoke, blowing them out into the still air, but he didn’t say a word – or even spare another glance at Shiro.

“…I didn’t know you smoked?” Shiro finally said. Even now seeing it for himself, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the image of Lance smoking.

“Heh, yeah – leftover bad habit from college; it was…stressful,” Lance forced a chuckle. “I’ve tried quitting – several times, but I always went back worse than before.”

“Keith must’ve dragged you through hell and back to get you to quit,” Shiro half-joked.

“Ugh, you have no idea – he actually scoured the entire apartment once and threw all my cigs down the toilet. He even found the emergency stash I kept in my sock drawer! Like, who the _heck_ goes through another guy’s _sock drawer_?!” Lance bemoaned, throwing his hands up in the air as he continued to grumble. Shiro couldn’t help but laugh – that definitely sounded like something Keith would do. They fell back into awkward silence, Lance taking another long drag from his cigarette while Shiro simply stared at the night sky. After several minutes, Shiro had enough; he let out a heavy sigh, tearing his eyes away from the sky and down to the concrete.

“Lance…if – if you don’t want to meet up in our dreams anymore, I – I understand,” the words felt like sandpaper in his mouth. He continued on though. “I – I don’t do much during the day, so I can probably sleep then so we don’t have to keep seeing each other in our dreams…”

“You – you don’t want to meet up anymore?” Shiro could hear Lance’s voice crack just a little, snapping his head up to face the other. Their eyes meet properly for the first time since the night started, a silent plea mixed with a hint of fear reflecting in those dark sapphire eyes. Shiro could feel a small blip of hope fluttering in his chest, but he quickly pushed that feeling down, not wanting to crash even harder than he already was if he was reading this whole thing wrong.

“It’s the opposite, actually – this past month, it’s been the best nights of my life. I – I feel like I can finally move on, that I can pick myself up and walk forward again…and it’s all thanks to you,” his voice was straining, his words coming out softer than he intended. He curled his fingers into a tight fist, blunt nails digging into his palm hard enough that it would no doubt leave marks. “But I’ve been lying to you; I’m not the person you’ve been seeing in the dreams. I’m sorry for deceiving you all this time…”

“You haven’t been lying to me, Shiro,” Lance answered softly. Shiro couldn’t help but laugh the sound coming out forced and bitter as he glared at the ground.

“I’m an ex-military solider suffering from heavy anxiety; I haven’t had a right arm in over three years; part of my hair turned white because of stress; not to mention I have scars all over my body!” his voice was shaking. He didn’t realise he had steadily raised his voice, aggravation and frustration bubbling in every word, but these feelings weren’t direct at Lance – they were directed at himself. Lance had gone abnormally quiet, a blank look on his face as he stared at Shiro, the cigarette tucked between his fingers temporarily forgotten. Shiro muttered a small apology, reaching his arm to wrap himself as he hunched over, turning his face away from the other man. A pregnant silence fell between them, and he could feel those dark eyes watching him, not daring to look back at them afraid of what he might find.

“…I admit, the missing arm was a bit of a shock, but it doesn’t completely define you. And honestly, I kinda like the white patch – makes you look edgy. As for the scars, well I think they make you hotter,” Lance finally spoke after a few minutes of silence. Pale cheeks went red, Shiro looking over at the younger man with wide eyes, mouth hanging open in bewilderment. The pink blush was barely visible against the dark skin, a shy smile on Lance’s face as he gazed at Shiro.

“…I still lied to you; I – I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while about – this,” Shiro gestured vaguely to his right side. “But I was afraid; I didn’t – I didn’t want you being repulsed by me like everyone else…”

“Shiro – it’s never been about your appearance,” Lance stated plainly. Shiro only blinked confusion clear on his face so the brunet continued on. “You’re – bold, and gentle. You’ve got this air of a mature adult, and yet you can still pout like a child. When you laugh, your nose does this cute little wrinkle and it just makes me wanna make you laugh all time. When I see you smile, it feels like the whole universe revolves around you. And okay, maybe our dreams hid your real appearance, but who you are inside was never a lie.”

“You’re – not disappointed with me?” Shiro asked, hesitantly straightening up from his hunched position.

“Never! If anyone should be disappointed here, it’s you!” Lance answered firmly.

“Me? Why would I…?” Shiro questioned, giving the brunet a confused look.

“B-because, I lied too…I mean – look at me! I’m not – I’m not exactly the hottest guy in the world…compared to…” Lance’s words trailed off. He suddenly adverted his eyes to the ground, a look of apprehension appearing on his face as he brought the cigarette to his lips again. Shiro only blinked at him, letting his eyes wonder up and down the man standing next to him. A small smile came to his face, letting out a thoughtful hum as he cocked his head to the side.

“No, you’re not – you’re ten times cuter in real life,” he stated. Lance choked, swallowing a mouthful of smoke and began coughing violently, a deep red blush plainly visible on his cheeks as he turned to glare at the elder.

“Are you _trying_ to kill me?!” he shrieked. Shiro just laughed, nearly hitting his head against the brick wall as he did so.

“Yeah, definitely more adorable,” he reiterated.

“Are you fucking _kidding_ me?! My hair is literally so impossible I have to go to a professional to get it tamed! My glasses are so thick I could burn ants off the sidewalk! And I’m –!” Lance paused, biting back his words. A hand tugged at the oversized sweater he was wearing, suddenly hunching over in attempts to seem smaller, looking away with an anxious stare. Shiro’s eyes followed the gesture, noticing the change in the other’s posture; he hadn’t really gotten a good look at Lance since the other had been sitting down this whole time, but now he could see it wasn’t just the sweater. Lance was perhaps five or ten pounds heavier than in the dreams, but Shiro didn’t really mind it. In fact, he kind of had to agree with Keith’s earlier statement that the brunet needed the extra weight.

They fell back into silence, but somehow the air between them seemed more relaxed, more familiar as the mood settled between them. Shiro felt a smile stretch across his face, the pressure in his chest lighter than it had been since the start of the night; there was still one more thing he had to do though to make this night perfect. He reached his hand over to pluck the cigarette from Lance’s fingers, the other protesting at the loss as he reached out to snatch it back.

“Hey! I’m still using that!” Lance complained.

“I think you’re done for the night,” Shiro stated. He let the cigarette drop to the ground, quickly snuffing out the glowing ember with the sole of his shoe. Lance let out a small whine at the loss, shoving his glasses up his face so he could pinch the bridge of his nose.

“You’re just as bad as Keith…” he grumbled. Shiro barked out a laugh, pushing away from the wall and turning his body to face Lance.

“Hey, how long do you think you’ll be in town for?” he asked.

“We’re planning to stay for the weekend, then fly back to Portland Monday morning…why?” Lance questioned. Shiro gave him a tender smile, holding his hand out to the other man.

“I want to take you on a date – a real one, in the waking world. I want to get to know you – the real you,” he answered. Dark blue eyes went wide, staring between the hand being held out to him and the owner; a shy smile came to Lance’s face, slowly placing his hand in Shiro’s. The warmth from their touch sent sparks through their veins, a pleasant shiver going down their spines.

“I – would like that; I want to get to know you too. The real you,” Lance affirmed. Shiro tightened his fingers around Lance’s, feeling a little flutter in his stomach at finally being able to feel the other’s touch with his. The dark skin was just as smooth as he always imagined it would, gently tracing light patterns with his thumb. He could feel Lance’s own fingers curling around his, seeming just as awe-struck by the contact as he was. Shiro gave a little tug, getting those perfect ocean blues to look up at him.

“Can I kiss you?” he blurted out. Lance gave him a wordless nod, hearing his breath hitch as Shiro stepped closer, eliminating the tiny gap between them as he leaned forward to take the brunet’s lips with his. There was nothing special about the kiss, just a small chaste press against the mouth, but it had both men nearly melting. Lance’s lips were just as soft as he thought they would be, tasting the lingering flavours of bacon, beef and cheese, along with the smoke still clinging to his breath. Shiro stole one more little peck before they finally pulled away from other, the two almost breathless as they gazed at each other with hooded eyes.

“Wow…” was all Lance could say. Shiro had to snort, chuckling at the reaction.

“There wasn’t even any tongue,” he pointed out.

“I know, but somehow it just seemed – so much better,” Lance flustered, giving the other man a pout.

“Maybe it’s because we can actually feel it this time,” Shiro reasoned. Lance only hummed, leaning forward to press their foreheads together in a tender show of affection. Shiro didn’t mind it, letting his eyes fall shut as he tried to commit this moment to memory, as he tried to memorize the feel of Lance against him. They stood like that for several minutes; blue and grey clashing together before they shared a soft laugh, finally pulling apart and started heading back into the restaurant before either Matt or Keith came looking for them. They discussed when would be a good time for their date, Lance figuring he could find a few hours to get away from Keith long enough to spend time together. Shiro assured him he could easily get Matt to help distract Keith, a plan already conspiring in his head.

They walked back into the restaurant with lighter steps, laughing and nudging at each other as they discussed what to do once they got to their real date. They hadn’t noticed, not even as they made their way back to the booth where Matt and Keith were waiting, deep in some debate about something. Both men jumped at the sound of Keith slamming his hands down on the table, practically screeching out ‘ _what the fuck?!_ ’ as he gave them a wide-eyed glare. Shiro and Lance glanced down at the space between them to see something they hadn’t realised – they hadn’t let go of each other’s hands.

The two men just looked at each other with knowing grins, a sheepish little “oops” escaping them both before they laughed. Keith gawked at them, demanding an explanation as to why the two of them – who should be complete strangers to each other – had walked in hand-in-hand like some lovey-dovey couple. Matt leaned forward in his seat, elbows on the table and a devious little smirk on his face as he too asked for an explanation. Shiro and Lance shared one last smile, only letting go of each other’s hands when they moved to sit back down in the booth and attempt to explain the situation.

They had a long night to convince their friends that they’ve actually been dating in their dreams for the past month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the end 8D This is - totally not short... oops. Thank you for reading!


End file.
